“Restaurant” & “Charter School” Are Vague Descriptors
“Charter School” is a vague descriptive term, akin to “Restaurant,” in that neither term tells you very much. One of them, however, is dangerously vague.
“Restaurant” is vague but not dangerous. The word tells you only that the establishment serves food of some kind, but nothing else. It might offer great cuisine–or greasy slop. It might be a fast-food joint or a 3-Star Michelin legend with a 6-month waiting list for a reservation. And, if you do go there for a meal, that’s the extent of your obligation. If it’s bad, you can get up from the table and leave….
So, now imagine you are standing outside a building sporting a sign reading “Charter School.” All you can discern from the term is that it’s one of about 7,000 publicly funded but privately managed charter schools. And the possibilities of what that charter school might be are dizzying. Here are just some of them:
- It might be part of a national chain of schools or a stand-alone “Mom and Pop” school;
- It might have been authorized locally or set up by a distant authority (which may not be keeping its eye on things);
- It might have a Board of Directors made up of local parents and other residents, or it could be controlled from afar by a Board with no local representation whatsoever;
- It might have an admissions test, even though it is supposedly a public school, CONTINUE READING: “Restaurant” & “Charter School” Are Vague Descriptors | The Merrow Report